# Foldscope vs The Microcosmos

The clearest difference is update cadence: Foldscope at every 2 months against The Microcosmos's every 5 months. The Microcosmos's advantage is iOS requirement (13.7 vs 15.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Foldscope ships an update every 2 months, The Microcosmos every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Foldscope | The Microcosmos |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/foldscope/id1516900181/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2** | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 26 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **13.7** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Foldscope Intruments, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1239049211) | [Koonkie Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1555431187) |

## What reviewers say

### Foldscope

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/foldscope/id1516900181)

This app allows users to capture, focus, and scale images taken through a specialized lens. It also provides a platform for sharing these images and text posts with a global community of users. Explore and discover microscopic worlds through shared content.

**Highlights:** Capture and focus microscopic images, Scale images through the lens, Share images and text posts, Browse global user posts, Explore the Microcosmos community

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### The Microcosmos

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-microcosmos/id1555443746)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Foldscope free?

Foldscope is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is The Microcosmos free?

The Microcosmos is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Foldscope or The Microcosmos have ads?

Neither Foldscope nor The Microcosmos shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Foldscope or The Microcosmos?

Foldscope ships an update every 2 months, and The Microcosmos every 5 months. Most recently, Foldscope was updated on September 10, 2026 and The Microcosmos on September 15, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*